This invention relates in general to the automation and distribution of programming information including video, audio, text, and graphics to a large number of program viewers located over a large geographic area. More particularly, it is directed to an integrated, automated production and distribution system for providing customized delivery of digital streaming media to particular geographic areas, markets, groups and/or individuals via remotely controlled origination nodes.
Prior to the late seventies, television broadcasting was primarily a static industry whose production and distribution techniques remained largely unchanged since the days of Milton Berle and xe2x80x9cI Love Lucy.xe2x80x9d Even with the advent of color television, the techniques through which ABC, CBS and NBC produced and distributed its network programming remained the same. Using analog and/or manually operated cameras, video tape recorders, playback machines, switchers, lighting and editing systems, these networks generated national programming combined with national commercial content. Programming was distributed to the networks"" owned and operated, as well as affiliated TV stations, via national and regional terrestrial microwave systems operated by companies such as ATandT, WTCI, MRC and Western Union/CPI.
Sectionalization of the national TV Networks; i.e., delivery, of programming and/or commercial content intended for a specific region and/or time zone, was accomplished by creating ring networks out of the national microwave distribution system by ordering part time xe2x80x9cbridging circuitsxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9crolling overxe2x80x9d numerous tape machines at strategic locations in the national microwave network. For example, programming with the appropriate commercial insertions would be transmitted to the stations between New York City and the Chicago TV affiliate. In Chicago, two manually operated tape machines with commercial content and/or programming destined for the TV affiliates between Chicago and Washington, D.C., as well as for TV affiliates to the west of Chicago, provided the facilities to create two regional Network feeds. The first manually controlled tape machine would xe2x80x9croll overxe2x80x9d the New York feed and transmit via a xe2x80x9cbridging circuitxe2x80x9d connected to microwave facilities on the national network between Chicago and Washington, D.C. In turn, the Washington, D.C. affiliate would have another manually controlled tape machine with commercial and program content destined for the TV affiliates in the Southeast ready to xe2x80x9croll overxe2x80x9d the Chicago feed. Meanwhile, the second video tape machine at the Chicago TV affiliate would also xe2x80x9croll overxe2x80x9d the New York feed and replace it with commercial and/or program content destined for the TV affiliates to the west of Chicago. Likewise, this technique would be used repeatedly in locations such as Birmingham, Wichita, Denver and other such cities across the network until the programming was sectionalized as desired across the network.
In order to perform switches between national and regional programming without noticeable interruption to the home television viewers, a period of available time was allocated for manually controlled local commercial insertion otherwise know as xe2x80x9clocal avails.xe2x80x9d At each of the networks"" local affiliates these xe2x80x9clocal availsxe2x80x9d were used as a xe2x80x9cwindowxe2x80x9d in which sectionalization of the network could occur.
In addition, ATandT and the other terrestrial microwave providers supported these scheduled sectionaliztions of the various national TV Networks by manually executing time-based switching of the microwave network during these scheduled xe2x80x9clocal avails.xe2x80x9d For example, an ATandT network technician would literally run between the racks of communications equipment at certain bridging locations with a patch cord in order to provide the necessary xe2x80x9cbridging circuitsxe2x80x9d during the predetermined xe2x80x9clocal avail.xe2x80x9d
With the advent and commercialization of satellite technology in the United States in the 1970""s, ABC, CBS, NBC and the Public Broadcasting System all converted their terrestrial microwave distribution systems to satellite distribution during the early 1980""s. In general, this decision was made due to the superior economics and flexibility of satellite technologies. As a result, new techniques and support systems needed to be developed in order to accomplish sectionalization and/or customization of the national TV networks.
As a result, the television broadcasting system generally changed from a serial, terrestrial network connecting stations to each other one-by-one via microwave towers, to a point-to-multi-point network where each sectional group was connected directly to the network origination earth station via a satellite link. Accordingly, each sectional group required a separate transponder to receive its designated commercial and programming content. Moreover, just as with a serial network configuration, each of the Network""s TV affiliates continued to use its xe2x80x9clocal availxe2x80x9d as a xe2x80x9cwindowxe2x80x9d in which to switch between national, regional and local programming.
In addition, the transition of the U.S. terrestrial TV networks to satellite distribution created the first requirements for computer automation, management, coordination, monitoring, and control systems. The challenge of meeting these requirements resulted in further developments in technology. For example, computerized booking, scheduling and financial management of satellite and telecommunications facilities, origination earth stations, transponders and affiliate receive earth stations, local channels, long distance terrestrial facilities, to name a few, were developed. These systems were typically developed to (1) control and manage the inventory of telecommunications facilities to avoid xe2x80x9coverbookingxe2x80x9d two users for the same facility, (2) allow allocation of facility charges to be applied to the various network users both internal and external to the respective networks, and to (3) analyze usage to better manage existing facilities, as well as to plan future facilities. The transmission automation systems could also be used to switch facilities and thereby reroute video, audio and data services.
In general, the satellite network control systems installed in the early 1980""s and used by the likes of ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS have changed little since their original installation. As the computer technology became more widely available and used computerized network control systems were developed. In the respective broadcast centers of these networks in New York and Washington, D.C., a master computer system capable of transmitting low speed data via either the Vertical Blanking Interval (xe2x80x9cVBIxe2x80x9d) or a Single Channel Per Carrier (xe2x80x9cSCPCxe2x80x9d) transport system sends customized data streams to TV affiliate satellite receivers. This transmitted data instructs the various TV affiliate earth stations to perform a number of functions such as: (1) configuring the TV affiliate earth station to receive the appropriate TV programming by instructing it to point at a specific satellite and tune to a particular transponder and/or center frequency, (2) updating time based schedules and synchronize affiliate clocks, (3) updating network restoral procedures; i.e., instructions as to what to do if the inbound data channel and/or programming channel is lost due to a catastrophic satellite failure, (4) periodic reporting instructions back to the master computer system via terrestrial data channels such as X.25 packet nets and later frame relay and/or ATM, (5) reporting back to the master computer system as to the status of various components of the affiliate earth station and control system.
Another condition created by the transition to a point-to-multi-point, satellite distribution system was that unauthorized access or xe2x80x9cpiracyxe2x80x9d of programming became an issue. Nearly impossible in a terrestrial, point-to-point microwave system, satellite distribution enabled the xe2x80x9cpiracyxe2x80x9d of programming out of market from major league sporting events, premium cable as well as pay-per-view (PPV) programming. In response, encryption and conditional access systems have been developed. In early implementations Scientific Atlanta B-Mac and General Instrument VideoCypher xe2x80x9cscramblingxe2x80x9d products were utilized for these purposes. Today, these systems are still in wide use in analog, satellite distribution systems. In general, it can be said that B-Mac was and is utilized more in Europe while VideoCypher was and is utilized more in the United States.
With the development, and installation of digital video compression and transmission systems designed for TV, Cable, PPV and DTH program networks in the 1990""s, a new generation of encryption and conditional access products has been developed for them. As with the analog encryption products, Scientific Atlanta and General Instruments own the largest U.S. market share for broadcast quality, video compression products with their PowerVu and DigiCypher product lines both of which come bundled with their own conditional access systems.
Outside of the U.S., DVB standards-based video compression systems are the most common. In addition, numerous DVB compatible conditional access systems have been developed by companies such as Nagra, Iredeto, NDS, Telenor, France Telecom, etc. In general, these systems monitor and control the authorization of full-time, occasional, and/or PPV programming and group de-authorization of major league sports for xe2x80x9cblackoutsxe2x80x9d in local markets.
Regarding the key based encryption and conditional access techniques used for the distribution of broadcast quality programming, existing networks utilize systems that were developed for use with broadcast networks; i.e., systems that are configured in either a point-to-point or point-to-multi-point fashion. In short, the programming is encrypted at one end of a transmission link and decrypted at the other end. This being the case, current program distribution networks do not pass encrypted programming through one headend and have it decrypted at an appropriate, downstream headend. During the 1980""s and 1990""s, the increasing availability and affordability of mini and personal computer computing systems allowed the TV and Cable Networks to automate more and more manual broadcast operations. For example, traffic and station management systems were developed to manage commercial sales and programming contracts as well as to create the daily program schedules and xe2x80x9cas runxe2x80x9d logs. In short, these systems concentrated on the financial and operational aspects of revenue and expenses; i.e., revenue generating commercials and programming. Originally implemented on mainframe computers, systems of this type are now available on mini and high-end personal computing platforms. Videotape library systems were developed to manage the archival, duplication and usage of video taped programs. Manpower and facility scheduling systems were developed to schedule and analyze the usage of technical manpower and facilities such as studios, tape machines, edit rooms, graphics effects, etc. Network playback automation computers scheduled videotape and/or file server based network playback devices were also developed to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of network playback operations. Studio Automation/Robotics have been used to automate studio lighting and the remote control of camera operations. Newsroom Automation computers and digital video and audio technologies have also been developed to increase the efficiency of newsroom operations; i.e., the coordination and integration of file server, edit and story creation subsystems for the purpose of minimizing the time and effort required to create TV programming. Still and Animated Graphics enable the creation, manipulation and management of computer generated, digital graphics. Digital video compression and transmission provide a means by which the digital bandwidth required to transport video of a certain quality is reduced. Current techniques utilize Discrete Cosine Transfer (DCT) algorithms and standards based formats such as MPEG, JPEG, etc.
Today, network distribution of broadcast quality television programming via terrestrial TV, cable MSO (Multiple System Operator) or DTH (Direct To Home) systems is still accomplished primarily by analog, satellite distribution. Over the past two decades as these broadcast TV technologies have developed, the number of new broadcast, cable and DTH channels has increased from four national networks to hundreds of free, premium and pay-per-view channels. As a general rule of thumb, the newer networks tend to use more of the digital and automation technologies. For example, practically all new networks utilize digital video transmission while to this day, ABC, CBS and NBC, utilize analog satellite distribution for their main network feeds.
Even with the automation and digitization of the TV production and distribution process that has occurred over the last couple of decades, the means of distributing and sectionalizing TV Networks remains essentially the same. Currently, land mass and/or international distribution of xe2x80x9cbroadcast qualityxe2x80x9d television is accomplished via satellite. All of these networks are point-to-multi-point networks that employ two alternatives when injecting local and/or regional programming. Either multiple feeds are provided from the network uplink and switched between local commercials or program content is injected at a local retransmit site such as a cable headend or terrestrial TV station. In both cases, the national and local content is almost always displayed in a common, xe2x80x9cfull screenxe2x80x9d format with the primary exception being the Bloomberg Network which injects national commercials in the video xe2x80x9cwindowxe2x80x9d in their multi-part screen format and local commercials at cable headends in a xe2x80x9cfull screenxe2x80x9d format.
These existing systems address basic requirements such as the ability to reduce the digital bandwidth necessary to carry a video signal of any given quality, the ability to transport these digitally compressed video and audio signals via standard digital transmission and modulation systems whether satellite, fiber, wireless and/or Internet based, and the ability to scramble and control individual authorization of groups and/or specific satellite receivers over a point-to-point and/or multi-point system via the use of key based conditional access and encryption technologies. In most cases, the network and/or regional/sectional programming is distributed from a network headend facility directly to the appropriate redistribution headend. In other words, TV networks are not designed to forward the appropriate program elements both real-time and stored to an automated, remote origination node for customized production, coordination and distribution of broadcast quality localized programming via terrestrial TV, cable MSO, DTH headend, internet web servers and/or home based processing unit
With newly launched TV networks, however, the utilization of digital, video compression, conditional access as well as transmission techniques is virtually assured. Previous networks have used one or more combinations of existing analog, satellite distribution, or a hybrid digital, analog approach to transmitting real-time programming and program elements to a headend for retransmission and customized programming for local delivery by inserting full screen graphics and/or video. Even with the utilization of these new technologies, significantly more in the way of integration of digital technologies and product features that can be developed.
Currently, little has been done to implement a comprehensive integration of the various automated and/or digitized portions of the network. While traffic, news room, and playback production automation systems have been integrated to a large degree, little beyond this has been accomplished. The automation systems may extend beyond the production and transmission facilities as network integration advances. Further efficiencies may be realized as the production and broadcast distribution of programming is further integrated and automated using today""s technology and future evolving technologies. Further efficiencies in integration and automation will allow greater economy in delivering programming as well as providing greater flexibility in the programming that can be provided. Moreover, as the convergence of computer, TV and telecommunications technologies evolves, broader and broader integration of these automated subsystems will be required to deliver the programming of the next generation.
The exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide an integrated streaming media system capable of generating and distributing broadcast quality streaming media content to a large number of remote nodes located over a large geographic area. In the exemplary embodiments, the network automation and integration may extend beyond the production and generation facilities to extend the capability of centrally scheduled network control to remote locations, if necessary, where programming content can be specifically customized for the particular remote location and/or region. The exemplary embodiments described herein are numerous and have many different aspects and embodiments, any of which may be practiced by alone or in combination with other aspects of the invention.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the streaming media generation and distribution system includes a broadcast or Network Operations Center, a digital distribution system, and Remote Channel Origination Nodes. The Network Operations Center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and houses the broadcast, production, technical and programming operations of the network. From a wide variety of information sources, the Network Operations Center creates the digital streaming media program content carried by a digital streaming media encapsulated by the IP for distribution to the remote nodes over the satellite network. Preferably, the facility will support the acquisition of programming and information to create the live programming for distribution via encapsulated IP transport techniques.
In the exemplary embodiment, the digital streaming media program content includes weather information data, but in other embodiments may take other forms including news, sports and entertainment programming. The exemplary program production preferably includes acquiring weather information data and graphic feeds from weather information service providers combined with additional data to create the desired programming content. The exemplary system creates a single digital streaming media or digital carrier utilizing encapsulated IP transport techniques to enable the carrying of video, audio, and graphics elements composited to create the delivered multi-window display of the weather information program. The multi-window display screen will preferably be comprised of national, regional and local weather information displayed in different windows of the display screen. The main or primary window of the multi-part screen will switch between different weather forecast segments including national programming segments featuring live on-screen presenters and local segments including graphics and off-camera narration. During the local and regional reports without a live on-camera reporter, an audio narration will be available. The audio will service the particular regional and local segments, with each geographic area receiving an individualized audio narrative explaining and detailing the particular graphics in the primary window.
The network operation center preferably includes a Network Automation and Integration subsystem and Network Monitor Distribution and Control subsystem with specialized computer automated and networked components to digitally assemble the programming components to implement the multi-window program display. The Network Automation and Integration preferably manages the xe2x80x9cmulti-channelxe2x80x9d origination to the remote nodes and coordinates with automated production systems to create the different segments for the multi-part screen with the individualized audio narratives. The facility preferably includes multiple production areas to enable the concurrent production of regional and local weather segments. The automated production systems preferably mange the incoming information, such as weather data, and digitally distribute it to the different production areas for re-formatting and editing.
According to another aspect of the invention, the digital streaming media and encapsulated IP transport layer carries a plurality of program elements and/or components necessary to create a multi-window video display composed of a plurality of display windows and elements containing different multimedia programming content such as video, audio, graphics, text, etc. Moreover, the programming content carried by the encapsulated IP transport layer can be supplemented with program elements or components from a variety of different sources, including those external to the network infrastructure. Program elements such as live, taped and/or stored video, audio and/or graphics may be introduced into the remote channel origination process by way of physical interfaces to a network RCON in order to provide the final broadcast quality, streaming media product in such a way that the multi-part screen display windows may include different national, local and specialty programming as well as locally inserted content. The programming content is thus preferably tailored to groups, subgroups and individuals receiving the streaming content by way of network RCONs across different geographic areas or markets that forward the finished product to retransmission stations, cable and/or Direct To Home (xe2x80x9cDTHxe2x80x9d) headends, web servers and/or home based processing units for final distribution and/or viewing as further described herein.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a number of automated subsystems for the purpose of creating, distributing, monitoring and controlling interactive and/or transactional, streaming media content are integrated to provide customized programming content for individual viewers. In the exemplary embodiment, the Network Automation and Integration function internal to the central Network Operation Center (xe2x80x9cNOCxe2x80x9d) preferably provide the primary means through which NOC subsystems are able to (1) communicate with each other, (2) transfer program elements among each other, (3) maintain version control of program elements, (4) synchronize subsystems to enable the frame accurate compilation of program elements by network RCONs and (5) ensure efficient, timely, accurate and reliable delivery of program elements to network RCONs. The Network Automation and Integration provides the primary means through which schedules, applications, graphics, animated sequences, data, video, audio, switching cues, encryption and conditional access features, interactive program elements, as well as monitor, control and synchronization routines are forwarded to the appropriate, predetermined network RCON to enable the final channel origination process.
According to another aspect of the invention, the encapsulated IP transport layer provides interactive and transactional capabilities allowing viewers to control or select further programming content to be viewed or particular features to be displayed. The interactive/transactional system allows commercial partners to offer products or services to viewers to purchase or select to obtain more information. According to another aspect of the invention, transactional streaming media may allow viewers to select and then conduct a transaction such as allowing the viewer to request or provide further information or purchase a product or service offered to the viewer. The transactional system allows viewers who wish to purchase the product to conduct an electronic commerce transaction to execute the purchase.
These interactive/transactional components are carried and distributed by a digital transmission system utilizing encapsulated IP techniques. This method allows the appropriate interactive applications and data elements to be distributed to a specific, predetermined headend via a specific, predetermined remote node. In this way, an effective overlay, virtual private network (xe2x80x9cVPNxe2x80x9d) is constructed to deliver the appropriate interactive components to the appropriate headend device through a network Remote Channel Origination Node (xe2x80x9cRCONxe2x80x9d) via vendor specified physical interfaces to digital tier, cable headend equipment.
According to another aspect of the invention, an automated production facility includes automated generation and compilation of pre-recorded audio phrases to create customized audio content. An audio concatenation engine will allow an operator to assemble pre-recorded audio phrases to produce local audio segments with a minimum of personnel and overhead, thus resulting in a cost and time savings to the system operator.
The exemplary network operations center preferably supports and synchronizes local insertion at the remote nodes to offer xe2x80x9clocal availxe2x80x9d opportunities. For example, the system will be developed to support the delivery of localized weather information with audio and data, where each of the remote nodes receiving specific weather data and commercials. The network will preferably deploy insertion capabilities at the remote nodes to enable insertion of local weather programming in addition to local advertising. Preferably, the insertion capability is controlled from the network operations center using a Graphical User Interface application software to enable an operator to integrate, create, edit and control the streaming media content. The Graphical User Interface software provides a system operator with a means to remotely control the streaming media as it is generated by the network RCON for final distribution. Preferably, the software enables the network automation and integration subsystem to synchronize the timing and display of various national and local programming information at the various receiving nodes as is described in more detail herein.
The network distribution and management will enable each of the remote nodes to receive program content and generate customized programming. In this embodiment, the remote content origination nodes are capable of creating the local programming from the received program content according to a program schedule that is centrally generated from the channel, traffic and contract management subsystem internal to the network operations center. Local commercial and/or program insertion is integrated by standard cueing techniques such as use off contact closures and/or tone based switching as well as central scheduling of local playback or insertion facilities.
According to another aspect of the invention, IP (Internet Protocol) encrypted transmission techniques are utilized for simultaneous distribution of streaming media and store and forward components on serial, point-to-multi-point and/or hybrid networks. Preferably, the programming stream will be formatted to enable the multiplexing of a plurality of data streams and/or components for encoding into an IP addressable data stream. IP encryption and conditional access techniques are used to distribute streaming media components. Using the IP technology for delivering the digital program stream provides the network with versatility to deliver highly customized programming for specific geographical areas via a wide variety of network configurations
The disclosed embodiments provide many new features and advantages for generating, integrating and distributing information content and customized programming over a large geographic area. The automated subsystems at the network operations center provides for greater levels of network integration and enables an all-digital production facility allowing greater levels of integration and automation to enable more efficient operation of the system with fewer personnel headcount resulting in substantial savings to the system operator. The digital streaming media and IP techniques allows all information, video, audio, data and control information to be distributed through a common digital format. The remote nodes located at the remote locations throughout the geographic area allows locally customized programming to be assembled from national program components and information components assembled with local data or locally produced programming. Control of the programming at the remote nodes may be controlled from the NOC system using a variety application software programs and hardware including networked client-server workstations, file servers, databases, etc.
A Graphical User Interface (GUI) software application program enables the scheduling, configuration, monitoring and control of programming content from a central location. The GUI provides a convenient mechanism for an operator to control, cue and synchronize the programming displayed at remote node. The control and synchronization information can be transmitted to the remote nodes as a component of the multiplexed digital streaming media. A plurality of Graphical User Interface processes can control the multi-window screen display at the remote locations.
The disclosed embodiments provide a number of advantages in implementing a digital transmission system. The automated subsystems provide integration that enables the system operator to achieve efficiency and operational cost savings in delivering customized broadcast quality digital television programming to individual remote locations and nodes. The automated production of audio narration allows the production of voice segments without requiring live on-air personnel. The GUI allows an operator to control, cue and synchronize the programming displayed at remote locations that can be carried by the encapsulated digital streaming media.
The IP encapsulated digital streaming media is single multiplexed pipe that carries broadcast quality programming content to the remote locations and controls the assembly of the programming with locally provided information to create a multi-window television screen display from the Network Operation Center. The encapsulated digital streaming media may also carry components to implement interactive and transactional programming to enable viewers to dynamically select items to viewer, obtain additional desired information and complete electronic commercial transactions for services or goods. Using the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, greater flexibility in providing customized programming at a low cost can be achieved.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with references to the accompanying drawings.